The Beginning of Something Else
by Unbeautifully-Broken
Summary: Sequel to The End of What We Knew. Arriving in Port Royal after rescuing Jack, Elizabeth and the crew lead new lives...and face an evil unlike any they've ever known. J.E.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean. However, I do own "The End of What We Knew." This story is the sequel to that, in case you didn't know._

_Au/N: I realize that some people do not know where the_ **review box** is_…I'd like to tell you all now. It's at the_ **bottom of your screen, in the purplish-bluish box.** _Now, since the human eye is naturally attracted to bold letters, you have read and are therefore informed as to where the "review" button is located. So, unless your grandma is on her deathbed, you have no excuse for not reviewing. So do it!_

_Thank you._

_**Chapter One, Prologue**_

**Elizabeth Swann**

The months following Jack's death and 'rebirth,' as Tia Dalma called it, were the happiest months of my life. Within three days of the death of Feng, the East India Trading Company was once again at its low point. I received word that my father, Governor Swann, had somehow become the 'captain,' as Jack would put it, of the entire operation. He'd heard that I'd formed a bond with Jack and turned the East India Trading Company's goal from killing all pirates to employing them in their business (this was, I believe, the best way he could think of to let me know from afar that he approved of Jack).

Pirates were granted full, official pardons, on the condition that they no longer plundered and pillaged the innocents of other ships. My father helped most of them find jobs. Some of them decided to be mere fishermen, still longing for the sea, while others chose land-based jobs. In the beginning, it was hard for them; people still saw them as thieves and were untrusting. But, in the few short days it takes to get to know an outgoing pirate with plenty of tales to tell, a large part of the Port Royal population began to accept them.

Gibbs, Jack's former first mate, became a blacksmith and took over Will's smithy once Will left Port Royal. Ragetti fulfilled his dream of becoming a member of the clergy, after being taught how to read. Pintel and Barbossa found careers in building fine, fast boats for the Royal Navy. And even Jack found a job that suited his fancy…

"Rum. Rum? Jack…who on earth would give you a job involving rum?" I'd asked once we'd made it back to Port Royal.

"Apparently, people who want a good opinion. I'm the official taste-tester! Ol' What's-his-name said since I'd been all over the world and tasted all sorts of liquor, I'd have the most valuable opinion. I can help him sell his wares! Do you have any idea how important I am now?" he'd asked, sounding shocked that I'd have a problem with his new occupation.

"Oh, no, Jack. Just make sure you stick to _testing_ the rum instead of _stealing_ the rum."

"My thieving days are through, lass. I'm a pure-hearted gentleman to a certain degree now…to a certain degree, of course," Jack had said before reaching out his hand and snatching an apple out of a merchant's basket when he wasn't looking.

Jack had quickly taken a bite of the apple and smiled at me.

"Pure-hearted gentleman, Jack?" I'd reminded him sarcastically.

"To a certain degree," he'd corrected, smiling brilliantly at me.

A few days after that, Jack proposed to me. It was romantic and quiet, not something I'd expect the former Captain Jack Sparrow to do.

It was late at night, and we were at the pier of Port Royal that stretched several hundred yards into the ocean. At the very end, we hung our legs over at the knees, leaning back and watching the sun set, the fishermen pull in their nets for the night, and the stars begin to peek out at us. A breeze was blowing, but it wasn't cold, and the water made soft splashing sounds as it collided with the sides of the massive Navy ships docked around us.

"Elizabeth?" Jack had asked me, his voice a little higher than usual. He wasn't looking at me; he stared up at the stars, even though I could not tear my eyes away from my face. I can't remember what I was thinking then, but I'm sure it must have been something along the lines of how close I'd been to losing the man before me, and how devastated I would be if he'd not come back to me.

"Mm?" I'd mumbled, brushing stray pieces of hair out of my eyes.

"Do you ever wonder what Heaven's like?"

"Sometimes. When it's late at night and I'm alone."

"Do you think…it's in one of those?" Jack had asked me, pointing drunkenly to a star above us. It was the brightest of them all; I'd noticed even in my quick glance at it, eager to turn my attention back to Jack's face.

"I don't know, Jack. It very well could be."

"I think it is. Because…I saw it. And it was very bright, Lizzie. But it wasn't hot, so Heaven can't be in the sun. And I wasn't in pain, so I wasn't in Hell. Therefore I am very rightly sure that I was in Heaven…and the only other bright thing I know of that's older than man…is a star. So I think Heaven's in a star." Jack had finished his theory sounding proud of himself, but I saw a bit of doubt creeping into his eyes. It sounded wonderful to me; creative and romantic. I did not want him to doubt himself; he'd been doing that a lot more since he'd been away from the sea so much.

Reaching out, I'd taken his hand in mine, slid closer to him on the pier, and laid his hand in my lap. I had opened his palm and begun to trace the lines in his rough hands when I heard him sigh.

"It probably is in a star, Jack. Man could not create Heaven, and man could not create the stars…so it's very possible that Heaven is there."

"Aye. But which one is the ultimate question, eh?" Jack had asked me, laughing lightly, hopelessly. I think he doubted that he'd ever get to go to Heaven again.

"It doesn't matter. You found your way there before, so you'll find your way there again," I'd answered, hoping to lighten the dark tone the conversation was taking.

"But what if…I have found it? And what if I don't want to live in a bloody star?" Jack had asked me, sounding even more hopeless.

"What do you mean, you've 'found it'?" I'd asked, looking at him curiously.

"Right here, Elizabeth…and since I've found it…I don't want to die and go to another 'Heaven', because I like this one just fine."

"Everyone dies sometime, Jack," I'd answered, realizing the "Heaven" he'd found was me. My heart began to pound loudly and I felt myself blushing. Jack's grip on my hand tightened until his knuckles were white.

"But I don't want to die, Elizabeth. I haven't had every kind of rum on earth…I haven't slept with every woman…I haven't ever been rich…I've never married the beautiful daughter of a governor…"

"I…can't help you with the first three…but the last one…I think I can manage," I'd said, smiling widely at what I knew would come soon.

"You can?" he'd asked, his eyes bright with anticipation. His smile widened and I saw every single one of his golden teeth gleaming at me.

"I will," I'd replied, grinning like a cat until my lips hurt.

Unlike how I'd imagined it, unlike how any girl imagines it, I wasn't directly proposed to. Will and I…we'd fallen apart some time ago. The day after Jack drowned and came back, Will departed and left for the New World. I missed him every day, but he promised he'd come back to visit Jack and me someday…but he didn't look too pleased when he realized that seeing me would mean seeing Jack.

However, the proposal was implied…and that was enough for me. The rest of the night, Jack and I stayed up, watching the stars, until the sun rose high over the ocean, and I fell asleep in my fiancé's arms.

Now, here I am…standing so close to him, holding his hand in mine. He's warm and clean, dressed in his finest. His eyes still have his trademark dark smears around them, but his hair is pulled back and washed, and his body is scrubbed clean with glowing skin. I'm much the same, my white wedding dress adorned with beads and pearls. I'm so busy fidgeting and staring at Jack that I miss my cue.

"Miss Swann? Miss Swann?" the minister asks, clearing his throat.

"Hmm? Oh! Yes…I…I…"

_Do I? Do I really want to get married? I thought that being with Jack was the whole opposite of marriage! I don't want to settle down, do I? Do I want to live a boring, plain life…do I want to be a wife?_

_NOT the time to ponder this, Elizabeth!_

Jack is staring at me, but he does not look nervous. Any other groom would be sweating profusely, seeing his bride struggling with her decision to marry him. My father, sitting in the first row, looks more concerned than Jack. I rather like it.

"Miss Swann?" the minister says again; he interrupts my thoughts with his squeaky voice.

"Lizzie?" Jack asks, rubbing soft circles on my hands with his fingertips. I blink a few times.

"Yes. I do. I do want to marry you," I say, more to convince myself than him.

"Well, I do believe we've established that, what with the whole wedding thing and all…" Jack jokes, earning a few quiet laughs from our audience. He grins at me. But the minister continues on, and Jack says "I do." He doesn't appear to hesitate, but I wonder if maybe he wishes he were somewhere else.

"You may kiss the bride!" the minister says, sounding glad that it's over.

"Gladly," Jack says huskily. He tips me over across one leg and swoops down to kiss me. His lips crush themselves against mine passionately, and I am breathless.

Too soon, it's over, and Jack is straightening me up. Wrapping his arms around me, he looks at me with a strange contentment I'd only seen once before: when I'd kissed him two weeks ago in Tia Dalma's swamp.

"Do you know what this is, Lizzie?" Jack asks me, speaking lowly so that only I can hear.

"The happiest day of your life?" I suggest, and I know I'll be satisfied with any answer. He smiles.

"It's the beginning of something else."

**End Chapter**

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	2. The Wedding Night

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean. And sadly, it's very unlikely that I ever will. Or I will own it, and the very next day, I'll die of a massive heart attack. It's my luck, people._

**Au/N: Whoa! You guys! I LOVE you! The reviews pep me up so much. I'd had a terrible day until I checked to see if anybody thought it was good and you know what? I was pleasantly surprised to find that no one thought it was crap! Woohoo! So I decided, since you reviewed, that I would not toss this story in the trash. So, hooray for the reviewers! Today is your birthday, woot woot!**

Special thanks to whyistherumalwaysgone, for reviewing not only this story, but several of my others! You're awesome!

**Thank you.**

**_Chapter Two, The Wedding Night_**

**Elizabeth Swann**

I am giggling as he carries me across the threshold of our new home. It was a wedding gift from my father; it is not much, nothing compared to where I used to live, but it is better than below deck on the Pearl…even though I still yearn for the sea.

He turns quickly, still holding me tightly in his arms, to frantically lock the door. I'm laughing loudly at him; I kiss his neck and can feel his pulse quicken beneath my lips. Finally, I hear the 'click' of the lock on the door. Jack turns and rushes up stairs, down a narrow hallway, and into what looks like the master bedroom; we cannot be sure, since it is the first time either of us have seen it.

Carefully, he closes the door to this room too; calming down, he slowly carries me to the bed and rests my body softly on the foot of it, so that my feet are hanging off. I sit up, eyelevel with Jack's taut stomach.

"Jack? I need to ask you something…"

"Yes, Lizzie?" Jack is saying as he kisses my forehead and reaches down to tug my wedding dress down.

"Does it…" I am embarrassed to say what I'm thinking, "…hurt?"

He stops, his lips frozen on my forehead. He straightens up and looks down into my eyes. The look I see there confirms that my fears are true.

"Yes, Lizzie. It hurts for a moment. But only for a moment, and then the pleasure more than makes up for it, I promise you." He says it sincerely, and I believe him. I am much less afraid. He looks at me for encouragement, and I nod to signal him forward. He resumes stripping my wedding dress from me, but he does it more slowly now, teasing me.

To return the favor, I reach up and slip my hands beneath his jacket. I push my hands back, and the jacket falls to the ground. I feel his hands begin to quiver as they continue to undress me. I smile as wickedly as I can and pull lightly on the string of Jack's shirt. Once untied, I slip my hands as enticingly close to Jack's groin as possible as my hands enter his trousers to grip his shirttail. Even more slowly, I pull out the end of his shirt, careful to allow my hands to brush against his member. His hands lock tightly around the material of my dress, which has now fallen around my shoulders, and he seems to be holding his breath.

"What's the matter, Jack?" I ask, pulling the shirt upward. Jack reluctantly pulls his hands away from me to raise them over his head. I stand, pull the shirt away from his body, throw the shirt to the side, and sit back down on the bed. Jack's naked torso astounds me. It is adorned with tattoos and scars, each of which I begin to trace with my fingers as he finally pulls the dress down around my waist.

He slows for a moment; he is taking in the sight of my breasts. I blush furiously, still lightly grazing his healed wounds with my fingertips. My hands are clammy; I am incredibly nervous. To even the score, I insert my fingers into his trousers; his muscles lock again. Moving at a snail's pace, I slide Jack's trousers down until they reach his knees, and then I let them drop to the floor. Stepping out of them, Jack grins down at me.

I glance at his erect member and have to blink. I had never really seen one before, so I could not tell if it was considered 'large' or not. But to me, it symbolized the end of everything I'd known, and I gasped loudly, which Jack mistook for disbelief. He laughed and a cocky look appeared on his clean face.

"I know. Impressive. But you haven't seen anything yet."

Jack leans down and kisses me; his tongue greets mine with passionate force. I kiss him back just as fiercely, my hands tangling in his hair. Before I know it, he is lying on top of me, and we are crawling backwards on the bed, towards the top of it. Our lips never separate as we move, our bodies rubbing against one another. Finally, we reach our destination: the middle of our bed.

_Our bed. Mine and Jack's. Jack's and mine. Ours. Our bed._

The thought sends me into a frenzy, and I entwine my hands and arms around Jack's neck. I hadn't noticed, but as we had been sliding upward on the bed, Jack had been sliding my dress down with his hands. Both entirely naked, he settled upon me, and I felt a hardness between my thighs. Another blush crept into my cheeks.

Jack's hands slip around me to my back, and he forcefully pulls me against him, his mouth still pressed against mine. He breathes into me as I bend my legs and lift my knees; Jack's body is positioned directly between my knees. I wrap my legs around him after a moment; he begins to kiss my neck.

I lift my hips against his groin; he moans into my mouth. He lifts his mouth from mine and stares down into my eyes. He positions his hands on either side of my neck. I smile up at him, preparing myself for what would come next.

Jack arches his back, and I feel the tip of his length going into me. This does not cause pain, but I feel extreme wetness, what I am sure is the extent of my arousal, surging through my center. I lick my lips in anticipation.

"Careful, Jack. Please. I…am new at this," I say quietly, noticing the heat of his body against mine increasingly with every passing second.

"I know, Lizzie. I will make it as painless as possible, love." It's a promise that I know he intends to keep. I let out a deep breath and close my eyes. When I open them, Jack is looking curiously at me.

_This is it. You are about to lose your virginity to Jack Sparrow. But it's okay now, because you are Mrs. Sparrow. There's no reason to be afraid. This is perfectly normal. Just relax…relax…relax…_

"Now."

Jack heeds me and also takes a breath. With a painstaking slowness, he inserts his length into me. It hurts so badly that I cry out in pain.

"Lizzie?" he asks, staring at me warily. My lip quivers as I bite it in an attempt to get my mind away from the pain. I look up at Jack; he is concerned to no end.

"I'm fine…I expected as much," I say. But this is a lie. It's not what I expected. It is worse. "Don't stop, Jack." He would not lie to me; he was telling the truth when he promised pleasure. I am eager to feel what he described.

He scrutinizes my face. When he sees that I am serious, he takes another breath and begins to move in and out of me. The pain flares between my legs again and I feel tears seeping out of my eyes. But then, suddenly…I can feel it going away.

Pleasure replaces pain almost instantly, and I feel my knees buckling around Jack's body. He notices the changes in me and begins to pump faster. I moan with pleasure and dig my nails viciously into his back. He groans and inclines his head to kiss my breasts. He never stops moving in and out of me.

I am breathing hard, trying not to lose myself now. It can't have been long…can it? It seems as though we have only just begun, but I am already fighting to maintain control. Beads of sweat roll along our bodies; Jack's tan skin shines with perspiration. My hands knot in his hair and grip the sides of his arms tightly.

"Mmm," I moan as his length goes in deeper. It's pushing farther and farther into me with every second, and my center is throbbing with wet excitement. I am unable to move; I am locked in place by the immense, radiating waves of pure bliss that are moving through me.

Jack is breathing hard and his mouth is agape; his eyes are closed and sweat drips down along his forehead. I reached a hand up to push a stray piece of black hair away from his eyes. His dark eyes snap open and look down into mine. He smiles widely.

Suddenly, the friction is too much for me. I can only feel a heavy, strong throbbing where Jack has entered me. I scream loudly and glance up to see Jack's face contorting in a way I've never seen before. His jaw drops and he moans loudly into my hair.

"Lizzie! Mmm…"

I can't speak his name; I am unable to do anything but succumb to his body. I feel him release inside of me; immediately afterward, he gasps, taking in great gulps of air. I am doing much the same. I am wondering why the hell I waited so long in the first place. Then I turn to look at Jack, my husband.

_Oh. That's why. _I smile as he catches my eyes. He falls beside me and quickly wraps his arms around my body; I am suddenly tired and can already feel sleep creeping over me. Jack pulls me flush against him and kisses my jaw, near my ear. His rugged breathing sends a thrill through me, but it is nothing compared to what I just felt. Suddenly, I am laughing. I can't control it. Soon, Jack is laughing with me.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it, Mrs. Sparrow?" Jack asks playfully.

"No, Mr. Sparrow, it wasn't." I really mean it. Jack can read my mind, and he inclines his head again to kiss my lips.

Within minutes, I have fallen asleep in my husband's arms.

-:-

Waking up, I find myself alone in our bed. I stretch, rested, a grin I can't control covering my face. I look around the room, but I do not see Jack. Curious, I stand up and cross the room to the wardrobe. Throwing open the doors, I choose a pale, white robe and pull it around me. I'm eternally grateful to my father for moving my clothes for me. I glance around the room again and still see no sign of Jack.

Then I notice there is a balcony behind me, and the glass door is ajar. Still gripping the robe around me, I venture out onto the balcony, briefly acknowledging the beauty of the setting sun.

"Well, well, well," a voice says, startling me. I turn to see a man sitting in a wooden rocking chair. His gray, curling beard twists around messily as his teeth sink into a bright green apple. "'aven't ye become a pretty lass, Mrs...?"

"Sparrow," I say coldly, narrowing my eyes at Barbossa. We did not part on unfriendly terms, but I am curious about why he is here and if his appearance has anything to do with Jack's absence.

"Ah. Didn't marry Mr. Turner then, eh? Didn't think you would," Barbossa teases me, standing, circling me slowly. I am suddenly afraid that my robe does not leave much to the imagination.

I wrap my arms around my chest to hide my indecencies from him.

"Where is Jack?" I ask, trying to ignore Barbossa's intense stare.

"Funny you should mention Jack," Barbossa says, raising the apple to his lips again. After he takes a bite, chews it, and swallows it, he smiles at me. He is taking his time to annoy me, I know it.

"Tell me where Jack is!" I demand, trying to sound intimidating. Barbossa laughs quietly.

"Jack 'ad to leave on business. So, 'e called me at me home and asked me to watch ye till he returns." My face must display shock, because he looks satisfied.

"What business? Jack's not shipping out for another two months!" I say, sounding triumphant. Barbossa cannot win.

"What exactly 'as Jack been tellin' ye 'e does for 'is livin'?" Barbossa asks suspiciously.

"He's…a…rum specialist." Suddenly, I realize that this sounds unusual. Actually, it sounds incredibly stupid. "He lied to me!" I gasp in realization. Barbossa nods, seeming annoyed that it has taken me so long to catch on. "So…what does he do, then?" I ask, feeling as though my world is falling apart.

"Well, isn't it obvious? If 'e's lied to ye, then 'e must be doin' something he shouldn't be, eh?"

I took me a moment to run through the possibilities. At first, I dismissed my initial idea; it was too preposterous, too far-fetched. But, by and by, I realized…

"He's a bloody pirate!"

**End Chapter**

Before you ask, (cuz I know a lot of people will) yes, pirates were granted pardons, but only on the condition that they were not pirates _anymore_. And now that Jack is one again, he's going against the law. He's putting everything he's got now at risk. _That's_ why Lizzie is upset, in case no one gets it : )

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	3. Goodbye To You

_Disclaimer: Katie, owner of Pirates of the Caribbean. A sentence you will never see at the end of the movie credits._

**Au/N: Yeah…I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. But, in case anybody wants to know…my boyfriend and me are kinda…_not_…anymore. So, this chapter will therefore be sad, because I tend to write according to my mood. Forgive the slowness and any other problems you have with it just this once…leave me a review and make me feel good. I really need it right now. Thanks.**

**_Chapter Three, Goodbye to You_**

**William Turner**

I never understood why she left me for Jack. But she had; she had left me two weeks ago, and it only seemed as though it had been hours. I'd heard of a grand wedding, the wedding of the governor's beautiful daughter to a handsome, ex-pirate, who'd be on grand adventures and saved countless damsels. All the stories were, of course, exaggerated to some extent, but I decided that I'd let Jack have his fun. I might as well, since he had my ex-fiancé too.

_There's so much I want to say now  
But it's too late, I know_

_There's no way to heal these wounds now_

_And my heart bleeds for you_

_For you!_

_And all that is crashing like a tidal wave_

_Coming over me_

In spite of the many accounts I heard on the wedding, I did not plan to attend it. A week after it was scheduled, I realized that I wasn't bothered by it at all. I did miss Elizabeth, but I did not miss the thought of a wedding. I'd been nervous about marrying her forever, and somehow, knowing that it would be a long time before I'd even have to consider it again put me at ease.

So, I sat back on the deck of the _Saint Mary_, the new ship of my captain, as it was unloaded at Tortuga's main port. I swung back a heavy swallow of spicy rum, salt water splashing up against my legs, making them itch. I'd never been much for rum, but I'd have chosen it over water any day. I was so sick of the water, so sick of the ocean and everything that had anything to do with it. I'd planned to sail away from Port Royal, as far as I could, and set up another smithy somewhere. But things hadn't gone as I'd planned, and I'd ended up working as one of the crew on the _Saint Mary_. So much for dreams.

I prepared to take another sip of rum, but just then, I heard a crewmember shout, "Men! Let loose the sails! The Cap'n says the next stop's good ol' Port Royal! Oh, the rum an' the women! The food, men—the food! No more beans an' cabbage! We'll 'ave steaks an' bread, we will! Steaks an' bread an' potatoes if we're lucky!"

My heart skipped a beat as I realized I had no choice but to sail to Port Royal—the place I'd vowed to never visit again, for as long as I lived. Another lovely nightmare to keep me warm at night. With a new, disgusting taste in my mouth, I tossed the bottle out into the bay as far as I could. Resting my head in my hands, I cursed every god that hated me enough to dangle Elizabeth before my eyes again.

_So I wanted you to know_

_That I finally let you go_

_After all I've held onto_

_This is my goodbye to you_

_I was always there for you_

_But you never saw the truth_

_And the reason that I know_

_Is I finally let you go_

_I finally let you go_

"Oi! Cabin boy! Get over 'ere and pack up! Time to move, boy!" Captain Voss shouted as he nudged me forcefully with his foot. Slowly, I stood up to face him. He was a horrible man with yellowed teeth, more creases in his smudged face than wadded paper, and all forms of discoloration and marks on his skin. His hair was scraggly and gray, most likely washed once every ten years. He reminded me of Pintel.

"Yes, Captain. Whatever you say…" I replied with sarcastic joy. He narrowed his eyes at me, but despite his short temper, he was a decent man, for a pirate captain. He rarely stopped at any port other than the one in Tortuga, because in every other part of the world, he'd be hanged for his crimes. I very nearly walked away, salvaging some good part of my day. Until, that is, Captain Voss decided to voice his own opinion.

"I er…heard about yer lass across the sea. The gov'ner's daughter. Pretty woman, I've 'eard. Are the rumors true?"

My jaw stiffened, but I did answer him truthfully.

"Yes. Elizabeth is beautiful. Always has been…always will be." I tried to walk away again, but he wasn't satisfied with my answer.

"I also 'eard that she were married last week to an ex-pirate cap'n named Jack Sparrow. Accordin' to the tales my crew be spinnin', you an' Sparrow were good mates back in the day…an' I noticed lately 'ere that ye been uh…temperamental…and just wanted ter say…at least the bitch got what she deserved in the end, eh?" He sounded hopeful that what he'd said would cheer me up. Shockingly, it had the opposite effect.

_Yesterday you were my best friend_

_But tomorrow took you away_

_There's not much for me to say now_

_Just goodbye…farewell…_

_Farewell_

_And all that is crashing like a tidal wave_

_Coming over me_

I spun around to glare at him, my hands flying toward his throat. But if there was one important rule that I'd forgotten, it was that you should never fight in anger. My fury blinded me to his counterattack, and his foot was around my calf so quickly that I'd hardly seen it. With one swift move, he pulled his leg toward him, causing me to trip and fall backward onto the deck.

"Oi! Take it easy, take it easy! I were jus' sayin'…she left ye for a pirate, and she got left by a pirate. So it all worked out in the end!" The confusion I felt must have been displayed on my face, because his eyes grew wide and he stared at me in amazement. "Oh…ye hadn't 'eard, eh? Well…seems that after the weddin' night, ol' Jack Sparrow walked out…disappeared. Left 'is new bride to spend 'er first week of married life alone. No one 'as any idea where he be, neither. Quite a tragic blow to the missus, but it's a bit of a jolly good laugh for you, eh, lad?" he chuckled, his fat stomach rising and falling with each new breath he took.

So. Jack had left Elizabeth. She was probably mourning his loss as I thought about her, probably pining for him. Thinking about him constantly, wondering where she went wrong…

"But, uh…I can understand if ye don't want ter sail ter Port Royal. Or, better yet, I'll switch you with my first mate for unloadin' duty, so you don't even have to get off the ship once we get there!"

I thought about Elizabeth, how we'd been so close…and how it had all disappeared with one pirate's charm. I really thought about it…thought about my options. Poor Elizabeth. Poor, poor Elizabeth…

_So I wanted you to know_

_That I finally let you go_

_After all I've held onto_

_This is my goodbye to you_

_I was always there for you_

_But you never saw the truth_

_And the reason that I know_

_Is I finally let you go_

_And every time I close my eyes_

_My heart is bleeding deep inside_

_But now my eyes are open_

_And I'm never gonna be the one for you_

_The one for you_

She'd broken my heart. For so long, I'd thought of her as some angel up on a pedestal. Truthfully, she'd been the center of my whole universe; everything I planned for my future included her, and every decision I made was for her. I'd spent countless hours thinking of things to say to her, ways to explain how I felt. I'd invested so many days, months, and years thinking just about her. Every memory I had involved Elizabeth in some way. But when Jack Sparrow came into the picture, she seemed to forget it all. But I hadn't. Oh, I hadn't.

"I'll go. I'll have no problem. As a matter of fact, you won't even have to pay me for this one. It will be my last time sailing on this ship…after we reach Port Royal and I've taken care of some personal business…I'll never step foot into the ocean again." I meant every word.

Seeing Elizabeth in turmoil would've been hard for me before she'd gone. But now, to see her struggle with the same pain that she'd caused me, to watch her drown in it—in a sick way…it would be the most gratifying experience of my life.

The captain nodded to me, seemingly admiring me. I didn't do it to seem brave; I did it purely for the satisfaction of seeing Elizabeth's tearstained face. I grinned at the captain, tied my wind-whipped hair up with a strip of cloth, and climbed up into the masts to let out the sails.

As the heavy material of the ship's sails unfurled and the morning light across the sea filtered through the holes in the worn fabric, I realized that I did love Elizabeth Swann. I did not, and would not, however, bring myself to love Elizabeth Sparrow.

_So I wanted you to know_

_That I finally let you go_

_After all I've held onto_

_This is my goodbye to you_

_I was always there for you_

_But you never saw the truth_

_And the reason that I know_

_Is I finally let you go_

_Finally let you go_

_Finally let you go_

_Let you go…_

_Let you go!_

_This is my goodbye to you._

**End Chapter**

Aww. Poor Will. I feel for him, ya know? Review and tell me what you thought! -Hint- it makes me update faster!


	4. The Monotony of the Loveless

_Disclaimer: I don't own it, never will, don't sue me, because…this is the DIS-claimer!_

**Au/N: Ohhh my gosh. Reeling from the shock that Katie updated, I see. Well…would you like to read the next chapter? Huh huh huh?? Well…here it is!!!**

**_Chapter Four, The Monotony of the Loveless_**

**Elizabeth Swann**

"He's a bloody pirate!" I scream; my hands tug painfully at my hair. Barbossa stares at me with a sickeningly pleasant smile on his face. Like he expected my reaction. Like he expected Jack to leave in the first place.

"That 'e is, Mrs. Sparrow. Quite a fine pirate, too, I mus' say. Bit wet 'round the ears, but what can ye expect when 'e spends all 'is time on the sea?" Barbossa asks; he laughs to himself and takes another bite of his precious apple.

I know that tears are pouring down my face, but whether they are from anger, fear, heartbreak, or annoyance, I do not know. All I know is that the last thing I need is Barbossa "watching over me" like he said Jack sent him to do. Jack, of all people, should've known how I felt about being guarded like some little child. He couldn't have sent Barbossa! He knew me…he would never treat me with such condescension.

At this new conclusion, a thought strikes me.

"He didn't send you to protect me!" I blurt out while the tears falling down my face skid to a halt. A new happiness is bubbling within me as realization takes its hold.

"Eh? Then what, exactly, do ye think I'm 'ere for, lass?" Barbossa inquires.

"You…have a ship…don't you?" I am asking while rushing to my wardrobe, and I select clothes that Jack has left behind. I rush behind the folding screen in the corner of the room and begin to change as quickly as possible.

"Er…yeah…but jus' what do ye think yer gonna do with _my_ ship?" Barbossa asks me suspiciously. Finally, the dress I am wearing is falling down to my ankles; I step out of it and hastily reply.

"Jack would never leave me here to be watched over like some spoilt child! You are here for a different reason…a purpose, even…one which you are soon to fulfill." Stepping out from behind the screen, I am fully dressed. I untie my hair from its tight bun and let it fall in messy waves around my neck and back. Barbossa is staring, wide-eyed.

"Well…I'm all for fun an' games, lass, but I know better than ter service Sparrow's women, and you bein' his wife an' all--"

"No!" I interject, horrified at his assumption, "that's not it at all! I need you to take me to him…no matter where he is, what he's doing, or who he's with…I need you and your ship to take me to him as soon as possible!" I demand as I tuck stray hairs behind my ears and smile as politely as humanely possible at Barbossa. He is smiling at me, looking…almost proud.

"Ye sure that's what ye want, Mrs. Sparrow? I wouldn't want ter be takin' ye out of ye house and across the world without ye consent!" Barbossa asks me sweetly; his yellow teeth appear between thin, dirty lips. His grin is making me nauseas.

"Yes…that's exactly what I want. Take me to Jack, Barbossa. I know you can do it; you know him as well as, if not better than, I do. I expect to be aboard the ship and out of here before the sun rises. Understand?" He is nodding his compliance. I feel a smile stretch across my lips.

"Good…so…that just leaves one problem, then, lass." Barbossa is now looking at me in such a way that I wonder if he's been joking all along.

"Oh? And what problem might that be?"

"I have a ship…docked at me house. But it's for four people at most, and you'll have to do the rowing."

My mouth drops open and I glare at him.

"You mean to tell me that…this…your "ship"…is a ROWBOAT?" I scream again, feeling my heart drop to my stomach. All my hopes evaporate into thin air. My throat is tight and my mouth is dry…and Barbossa…is laughing.

"Neither a ship nor a crew, Mrs. Sparrow. Sure, I'll take ye ter Jack. I'll just throw ye in the sea and point ye in the general direction that he could have gone off in. No guarantees, though. Hope you can swim!" he says merrily as he begins to break down into laughter again.

More heartbreak is gripping me; there's no crew, no ship, and, whether Barbossa knew it or not, he'd presented me with another problem: I didn't know what direction Jack had sailed away in. There was no way of knowing where to even begin looking for him. All was lost.

As I realized these and many other things, all of which brought me another step away from finding my husband, I found myself sinking to the floor, closing my eyes, and crying hopelessly into the carpet.

And I couldn't stop the tears.

I was feeling alone.

Feeling broken.

Feeling the monotony of the loveless.

**William Turner**

"Cap'n!" came a shout from overhead. "A ship, Cap'n! There be another ship on the horizon!"

Nettle, who was resting in the crow's nest, pointed dramatically out in the direction opposite of the one we were going in. It would never run into us, so I didn't see why Nettle was worried about it. But, since he had the "all-seeing eye" (at least, that was what he called it; it was merely a long wooden tube with a piece of glass at the end of it) and could see farther away than I, I had no choice but to do my duty: hoist all sails immediately and report to the captain.

As the last rope dropped away from the large, white sheet I unfolded from the mast, the sails were then the responsibility of Toit and Lio, two of the crew's fittest men. I rushed to the captain's quarters and knocked heavily on the door. Captain Voss answered with his eyes bloodshot and his hair even messier than usual; I assumed he was drunk.

"Wha' you wan', boy?" he asked, his breath smelling strongly of spiced rum. I was right.

"There's a ship on the horizon, Captain. Nettle spotted it about five minutes ago. I wouldn't have alerted you, because it's not traveling in our direction, and we'll never meet it," he rolled his eyes at this news as though he wanted to ask why on Earth I'd reported this if I knew all that information, "but…Nettle wouldn't have pointed it out if it weren't of significance…so, I thought…I'd let you know," I finished uneasily, unnerved as the captain became more agitated with every word. I cringed as his hot, unpleasant breath hit me full in the face.

"Nettle'sn HICK idiot. Don' lisssen to HICK 'im. Probly drunk, the poor HICK sap," he hiccupped loudly (as drunk people tend to do), just before he collapsed at my feet.

"Well, 'e's not gonna be of much 'elp, is 'e?" Toit asked, coming up behind me to see what all the commotion was. He smirked down at the captain and shook his head. Toit's long, brown hair fell into his eyes, and it made him look like a dog. Of course, he rather smelled like one too.

"No, I don't think so," I agreed, turning my gaze from Toit to the passed-out captain, smiling to myself.

"Ahoy! Ship on the horizon!" Nettle screamed down again, pointing frantically away from us.

"We know, we _know_ Net! Just let it go, mate!" Toit screamed back, laughing it off. But there was an edge to Toit's voice that made me think he was still somewhat afraid. All the stories that traveled across the seas of the Kraken and Jack's daring adventures (very few of which included me) had obviously made him paranoid of sea monsters and the like. Him, along with all the rest of the crew, had heard so much about Jack's amazing pirate ship, the _Black Pearl_, that I'd become sick of their stories explaining where they'd go with a ship that fast. I rolled my eyes and prepared to steal whatever booze I could get out of the captain's cabin, take it below deck, and share it with…no one.

"But-but…it's…what's it doing?" Nettle mumbled to himself; I could barely make out his words. I became more annoyed with each passing second as he stared out of his "all-seeing eye" toward the tiny speck in the distance. It wouldn't take much to reach right in Captain Voss's room, snatch the bottle off the table, and have it all to myself…

"It's…it's…TURNING! It's TURNING!...it's…" he trailed off, his bouts of excitement and serenity beginning to get on my very last nerve. Then, he said something that would shake me out of my cynical mood: "IT'S THE BLOODY BLACK PEARL!" AND IT'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR US!"

**End Chapter**

Yes, a short chapter, but it was such a lovely place to end it, don't you think? REVIEW!


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